The U.S. has been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 5.8 million cases. The universities in the country have adopted varying strategies for resuming classes: 6 percent of the universities are online-only, 20 percent primarily in-person, 2.5 percent solely in-person, and 24 percent have not finalized their plans yet. It is in this backdrop that the U.S. has lost its place as the top destination for Chinese students. CGTN Host Tian Wei discusses with educators in China how the pandemic has brought education closer to home.

Meanwhile, the UK has surpassed the U.S. as the most preferred destination for Chinese students. 

Memo Mata, assistant principal of the Beijing International Bilingual School, said, "Many students are coming back to China. It's an evacuation. Students who graduated in May who were planning to study in the U.S. are taking a gap year. And others are turning to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, because they have been able to manage the COVID-19 crisis better." However, COVID-19 is not the only reason Chinese families are deterred from sending their children to the U.S.: racism against the Chinese and racial unrest at large are important factors as well. "Chinese families are afraid of the cultural mess in the U.S. Now bilingual schools are promoting A-level programs as a pathway to the UK. This is a dark time for U.S. universities," said Mata.

The outlook of education shifting from global to local is not limited to higher education; it is also evident from high school students. Rae Yang, teacher at a high school affiliated with Renmin University, said, "In a strange way, the pandemic brought more equality to education. Before, students with wealthy backgrounds had access to more opportunities. But because of the pandemic, students have equal chances to extra-curricular activities or conferences with elite scholars. This pandemic has given more chances to students." The idea that the pandemic has leveled the playing field between students is echoed by Wang Shi, assistant principal at Tsinghua University High School and director of college counseling. "Maybe schools cannot organize a trip to Italy. But we can have students organize trips around Beijing. They need creative ideas to cope with new challenges," he said.

The pandemic has also brought education closer to home not just figuratively but literally. "Parents are now playing a bigger role than before. Home-schooling makes parents the immediate figure to supervise and manage the time and pace of learning. This pandemic has placed more emphasis on parents' role in children's development," said Yang. Fathers are not off the hook when it comes to remote learning. "It is important for dads to spend time with their children even if it's remotely. But there is a difference between spending time and doing the right thing," Yang added. Educator and father Mata agrees, "The father's role is to engage in the child. Because of the pandemic, we have the opportunity to connect with children on more interests. So they can engage in more activities together. It is really a blessing in disguise."

The internet provides a key resource to educate children. But parents are crucial to harnessing this tool. Wang Yan from the National Institute of Education Science said, "In China, there is a national online learning platform to access resources during the pandemic. It is customized support students. The pandemic has shifted academic achievement from schools with brand names abroad to every home with an internet connection. Now more than ever, educators and students must 'think global, act local.'"